The Legend of Lina
by SlayersFan132
Summary: A young Kokiri boy named Zelgadis must defeat the enemy coming to Hyrule and earn his title as the Hero of Time as well as discover what happened to him when he was young. Takes place in the events of Ocarina of Time. Rated T for mild violence.
1. Chapter 1: The Dimwitted Deku Tree

**A/N: Hey, everyone. This is my first crossover. Let's see how it turns out!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers characters, plot, or settings, and I do not own the Legend of Zelda characters, plots, or settings.**

**Chapter 01: The Dimwitted Deku Tree**

It all starts with a boy named Zelgadis. The boy is a misfit among his people, the Kokiri, and has...

Wait, no. Wrong story. Lemme see here...hey, has history gone crazy?! Um...anyway,

The boy is a misfit among his people, the Kokiri, and has no fairy. It doesn't help that he is a blue-skinned chimera.

"Hey now, SlayersFan132, have you gone crazy? I will _not _let you just _insert_ me into this story! I AM NOT A PLAYTHING! Wait...is that a voodoo doll? Ow! No! Please! Okay, I'll stop complaining! Don't hurt me!"

Sorry, everyone. One of my playthings was acting up. Anyway...

One morning, before Zelgadis has woken up, Gourry, the Dimwitted Deku Tree, is speaking to a fairy named Sylphiel.

"Sylphiel, where art thou? Come hither," Gourry says. "Yeah, I agree with Zelgadis! These lines are hard!"

Um...I'll edit that out later.

"Yes, Gourry dear? I am here," the fairy says as she flits over to him.

"Find the boy without the fairy. Bring him to me. I am running out of time."

"Very well, Gourry dear," she replies, quickly fluttering away.

Sylphiel begins to fly to Zelgadis' house. She zips underneath a Kokiri's legs and looks around. She sees his house, nods, and flits over...only to crash into a fence. "Oops," she murmurs. She then flits into his room, hovering just above his head. She softly calls, "Zelgadis. Zelgadis! Wake up! The Deku Tree has summoned you!"

The chimera shudders a bit in his sleep before waking up. "H-huh?" he mutters, rubbing his only visible eye, as the other one is covered by a sort of mask of hair. He studies Sylphiel, "Are you...a fairy?"

"Yes," she replies. "Gourry dear sent me to you, Zelgadis! He needs your help. Something terrible is happening!"

He simply stutters, "A-a real fairy? I finally got a fairy?"

"Oh, I almost forgot! My name is Sylphiel. I'm going to be your partner from now on!"

He stares in disbelief at her, but then calmly gets out of bed. "Okay, then. Take me to Gourry."

Sylphiel flutters outside with Zelgadis.

"Hey, Mister Zelgadis!" his friend (his only friend, aside from the fairy fluttering next to him), Amelia, calls. She runs towards Zelgadis' tree house. He climbs down.

"Hi, Amelia. Look! I finally got a fairy!" he exclaims, pointing to Sylphiel.

Amelia gasps and gives his a hug, "Wow, Mister Zelgadis! I can't believe it! Mister Gourry sent you a fairy!" Since she and Zelgadis speak to the Dimwitted Deku Tree so often, they are allowed to call him by his real name.

"Yes, but this is no time to rejoice!" Sylphiel squeaks. "Gourry dear has summoned you, Zelgadis!"

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Seeya, Amelia!"

Amelia waves as he runs towards the Deku Tree, Sylphiel close behind. He jumps across three small platforms in the water and gets a blue Rupee. Soon he sees Dilgear standing at the entrance to the meadow that Gourry is in.

"Ugh, what do _you_ want, Dilgear?" Zelgadis grumbles.

"You're going to see the Deku Tree, aren't you?" Dilgear snarls. Without letting Zelgadis answer, he says, "Well, I'm not letting you through, _no-fairy_!"

Zelgadis rolls his eyes and points at Sylphiel.

Dilgear pauses for a second. "Oh, well. Even if you have a fairy, you're still a blue-skinned freak!" When Zelgadis flinches, the bully smirks and continues, "You could at least be properly equipped with a **sword** and a **shield**."

"You're not properly equipped," Zelgadis points out.

"Well, uh...um...I know, but I'm not in the meadow. I'm just guarding the Deku Tree from monsters like you."

Zelgadis sighs and trudges back towards Amelia. He grumbles, "Dilgear won't let me through unless I have a **sword **and a **shield**."

Amelia frowns, "Well, he's right about that, actually. Weird things have been going on in the forest recently. Monsters have been attacking people in the meadow. That's the only reason we've put up a full-time guard. You can buy a **shield** at the store for forty Rupees, but there's only one **sword **hiding in the forest somewhere."

"Okay, thanks, Amelia," Zelgadis says.

Sylphiel informs him, "There's a maze nearby with a big treasure chest in it. Maybe a sword is in there?"

"Maybe...let's go check," he hesitantly suggests. He walks over to the entrance of the maze, which is a hollow log that only a kid can fit through.

After crawling through, he walks forward, turns left, then turns right. Then he hears rumbling. "What's th—AAAH!" A boulder knocks him over. "Why didn't you warn me about that?" Zelgadis asks coldly.

"Um, sorry. I forgot.," Sylphiel apologizes, blushing in embarrassment.

"How could you forget something like that?!"

She remains silent, simply fluttering to the side as Zelgadis gets smacked in the face by the same boulder.

"That's it, where's the treasure?"

"Over there, in one of the—"

The boulder rams into him again. "This thing is seriously ticking me off," he says as he runs over to the treasure chest. Suspenseful music begins to play when he opens it and looks inside. "Now, wait just a second. Where did the music come from?"

"Stop asking questions and take the sword, Zelgadis," Sylphiel says. She might be impatient, but it's hard to tell when she's just a blob of blue light, wings, and sparkles.

"Fine," Zelgadis grumbles, pulling out the Kokiri sword.

"You're supposed to pose," she whispers.

"Hey, I'm only in this story because SlayersFan132 has a well-working voodoo doll. I am _not_ going to pose!" he complains. With that, he waits for the boulder to pass and exits the maze.

Sylphiel asks, "How are we going to get 40 Rupees?"

"We scavenge, cut grass, and throw rocks," Zelgadis replies. "Or we could just rob them..."

"Zelgadis! Amelia would have your head!" Sylphiel gasps.

"Well, we could always use the 'Fireball to Dilgear's face' method..."

"No, we're doing this the fair way!"

"But what about the _fun_ way?"

She sighs, "'Fun' is not part of this story. Not for us, anyway. Now, hurry up, because—"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, 'Gourry dear has summoned' me," he mutters, walking around in tall grass. "Aha! Twenty Rupees!" he exclaims, holding a red Rupee. "Now we've got twenty-five Rupees!"

"Why didn't you have any before?" Sylphiel asks.

He rolls his eyes. "Because I didn't need to buy anything. Our food literally grows on trees."

"Oh."

* * *

Fifteen Rupees later, Zelgadis walks into the store. Everyone in there pretends to be doing something else, but with his keen vision, he can obviously tell that they're looking at him. He can also hear exactly what they're saying with his pointed ears.

"Hey, look! The monster's here!"

"And he's got a sword!"

"Has he come to murder us?"

Pretending not to hear, he walks over to the counter and asks, "Can I buy a shield, please?"

The boy behind the counter quickly hands it to him. "Here, take it! Just don't hurt us!"

"Why would I hurt you?" Zelgadis asks in confusion.

The boy refuses to say more. He doesn't even care whether Zelgadis pays or not.

But the chimera takes his forty Rupees out anyway, and leaves them on the counter. He exits the store and walks back to Dilgear.

"Wh-whoa!" the bully exclaims. "Is that as-**sword**?! And a **shield**?!" He scoots a few steps to the side. "O-okay, I'll let you through! Just don't hurt me!"

As Zelgadis walks into the meadow, he mutters, "That seems to be everyone's lines nowadays."

Sylphiel says, "Zelgadis, just ignore him. He's trying to get on your nerves."

"And succeeding," he mutters as he walks towards the Dimwitted Deku Tree.

"Ah, Zelgadis. You have come," Gourry says.

"Yes, 'Great Deku Tree'," Zelgadis rolls his eyes. "Why did you summon me?"

Gourry blinks. Well, he would if he could. "Um, actually, I forgot."

The chimera falls, face first, to the ground. "Y-you forgot?"

Sylphiel exclaims in distress, "Gourry dear, you're dying, remember?" The fairy sweatdrops.

"Am I? Huh. I thought I was withering."

Zelgadis falls over again. "Um, Gourry, it's the same thing."

"Oh, right," the dimwitted, very old tree says.

"Gourry dear, how about I tell Zelgadis what happened?" Sylphiel asks. When Gourry nods (as much as a tree can, anyway) she explains, "Recently, a man of the desert came to the forest, asking about a **spiritual stone of the forest**. Gourry dear actually almost gave it to him, but after we fairies convinced him not to, the man became angry and laid a curse on Gourry dear. There is a giant spider inside him, and he needs your help. Gourry dear needs you to go inside and defeat the monster."

Zelgadis grumbles, "Which monster? The spider, or me?"

"Zelgadis, you are not a monster. You have a good heart, and that's all there is to it," Gourry says. "Or at least that's what I think."

"Okay, so what exactly _is_ this stone?" Zelgadis asks.

"I'll tell you when I remember. Now please go kill the giant spider."

He sighs as the tree opens his mouth. Walking in, the chimera looks around. The dungeon is full of spiders. That much is obvious. Several spiders crawl on vines on the wall.

"Whoa. Hold it. How did the inside of a giant tree turn out to look like a tricky dungeon?" he asks.

"How am I supposed to know?" Sylphiel asks. "I'm just here to tell you the enemies' weaknesses and which way to go."

"Okay...so which way do I go?"

In front of the fairy appears a scepter far too large for her. She briefly lands on top of it and then flutters off. The rod tilts, falls over, and...lands upside down. "Down, apparently," Sylphiel says.

Zelgadis looks at the giant web on the floor. "Through that?" She nods. "Should I use a Fireball or do it the old-fashioned way?"

"The old-fashioned way?" she questions.

"Well, if you don't know what it is, then here we go..." He takes a deep breath and steps onto the web, immediately falling straight through it and landing in a ton of water.

Sylphiel flutters down, saying, "Oh. Next time, go for the Fireball."

"I hate water," is Zelgadis' reply as he climbs out. A switch sits in front of him. Hesitantly, he steps on the switch. A torch ahead of him lights up, burning a spiderweb.

"Like I couldn't have done that myself," he mutters, opening a treasure chest next to it.

After taking its contents, he moves on through the dungeon, eventually coming to a room where a Deku shrub shoots Deku nuts at him. Zelgadis deflects a nut back at it and draws his sword, preparing to bonk it (or maybe give it a trim. Probably the former).

"No! No! Okay, I give up! The secret to my brothers' order is **2, 3, 1,**" the shrub cries. "**Twenty-three is number one!**"

With that, the shrub runs away, leaving a recovery heart in its place.

Sylphiel repeats, "Okay, Zelgadis, remember that. **Twenty-three is number one!**"

"I'm guessing that's the order to whack them with," Zelgadis says.

"Most likely," she replies.

They open the door, go through a few more rooms, and come upon three Deku shrubs.

Zelgadis draws his sword and shield. "2, 3, 1, right?" he asks. Sylphiel nods, so he bounces the Deku nuts back at the second, the third, and then the first. He runs up to catch the first as it tries to get away.

When caught, the Deku shrub squeaks, "Okay, okay! I'm so sorry, Queen Gohma! The secret to defeating Her Majesty, Queen Gohma, is to attack when she's stunned!" He then runs away with the others.

"Zelgadis, I sense something very evil on the other side of that door," Sylphiel says as she flutters nervously around.

"Here we go," the chimera mutters, opening the door and looking around. He sees something shift in the corner of his eye and looks up. Suddenly, an enormous spider falls from the ceiling...directly on top of him.

Zelgadis tries to stab Gohma's stomach with his sword, but tough armor deflects it. The eye turns red. "Aha!" he exclaims, stabbing the eye. Gohma moves away, and Zelgadis finds a Deku nut. All the while, Sylphiel is fluttering around, pretending to be useful. Zelgadis throws the Deku nut and uses brute strength to chop Gohma in half as he mutters, "With bosses like these, this story will be quite uneventful."

"Shhh! The author has voodoo dolls!" the fairy cries.

A blue ring of light appears behind Gohma, and a Heart Container sits in front of her. Zelgadis pokes the heart, and it disappears. The chimera finally notices four hearts above his head. "Hey, what's up with that?! I'm not part of this game!"

"You are now, Zelgadis. You are now..." an ominous voice echoes. "Muahahahahahahaha!"


	2. Chapter 2: On to Hyrule Castle!

**A/N: Here we are, chapter two! I hope you have as much fun reading this as I did writing it!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers, the Legend of Zelda, or Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech. (Don't ask.)**

**Chapter 02: On to Hyrule Castle!**

Zelgadis steps into the ring of light with Sylphiel, and they appear just in front of Gourry.

"Zelgadis. You have successfully defeated the beast. Now that I have recalled everything, I will tell thou the story of the goddesses.

Many, many years ago, three goddesses came to the earth. One was Din, the goddess of power. Another was Nayru, the goddess of wisdom. The last was Farore, the goddess of courage," Gourry says with a glint in his eye. "Din. With her strong, flaming arms, she built and cultivated the red earth. Nayru. With her strong mind, she brought law to the world. Farore. With her love of nature she created beings to uphold that law. With their work done, the three goddesses departed from our land, leaving behind them a golden triangle. We named it the Triforce and have put it in the hands of the royal family to protect it. Zelgadis, take this. This is the stone that the man of the desert wanted so badly that he laid this curse upon me: the **Kokiri's Emerald**."

Zelgadis reaches his hands out as an emerald ringed with gold falls from the Deku Tree's tallest branches.

"Go to Hyrule Castle. You will meet the **Princess of Destiny** there. She will know where to find the next Spiritual Stone."

Sylphiel gasps, and her high, tinkly voice shakes. "Gourry dear...you can't possibly..."

"Zelgadis, although your courageous actions have felled the source of my curse, it was already too late. You must find the princess and present to her the stone. She will tell you the rest. Sylphiel, you are to aid Zelgadis in his quest; help him in any way you can. Zelgadis, be sure to listen to her wise words when she speaks. Farewell..." Gourry's eyes close slowly.

"G-Gourry dear! You can't leave us! Not now!" Sylphiel gasps. "Who will protect the forest?"

"Come on, Sylphiel. We should go," Zelgadis says as he wipes unseen tears from his face.

The fairy reluctantly follows him to the edge of the meadow, where she looks back. "Goodbye...Gourry dear," she barely whispers before she exits the meadow.

Dilgear is blocking the exit. "Hey! No-fairy! What happened back there? Why is the Deku Tree dead? Did you...did you kill him?"

Zelgadis starts to protest in shock, but Dilgear says, "I don't wanna hear you lies, you...you demon! I, Dilgear, leader of the Kokiri, will never accept you as one of us! Get out of here!"

Zelgadis starts to walk past Dilgear, who shoves him a few feet forward, into the water. Soaking wet and slightly bruised, the chimera stands up and continues to walk. He feels a tap and a slight pain, quickly realizing that Dilgear must have thrown a rock at him. He simply flinches and continues walking to the exit into Hyrule Field.

One of the Kokiri girls, who looks slightly scared yet sympathetic, asks, "Where are you going?" When he replies, she asks again, "The castle? Where's the castle? ...What's a castle?"

Zelgadis shrugs and walks to the bridge leading away. He hears footsteps behind him and turns around. Amelia is standing there.

"So you're leaving, huh?" she asks quietly. He nods sadly. Amelia's face mirrors his. "I kinda knew you'd leave someday. You're just...different from the rest of us." She looks him in the eye with a glint of hope, "But...you'll come back, right?"

Zelgadis nods. "I promise."

Amelia smiles at that and places something in his hand. It looks like her ocarina. "I...I want you to have this. It'll help you remember the forest. And your promise."

He nods again, pocketing it. "I won't forget." With that, he gives her a short but memorable hug and leaves the forest, hoping he can come back someday.

After walking past the bridge and into the beginning of Hyrule Field, Zelgadis sees an owl perched upon a tree.

"Ho, Zelgadis! It seems that you quest has begun," it hoots in a rather annoying tone. "I am called Xellos. If you continue along this path, going northwest, you will find the Castle Town. From there, continue towards the castle to find the **Princess of Destiny**. Did you hear all of that?"

"Yes," Zelgadis replies.

But already the owl is repeating its words: "Ho, Zelgadis! ..."

Sylphiel whispers, "Run," and they both get away as fast as they possibly can.

"Hey, come back here!" Xellos yells. "Did you hear me? Hey, come back here! Hoot hoot!"

The two companions stumble upon what looks to be a ranch. "Why don't we check it out?" Sylphiel suggests.

"Fine, but you're paying for food later."

"I can't carry money. Or anything, for that matter."

"Oh, shoot," Zelgadis grumbles. "Therefore, I always have to pay." He sighs, "We might as well..."

They both enter the ranch as dusk approaches. A middle-aged man is leading the horses into the stables. He has black hair and quite an impressive mustache.

Zelgadis hears the man mumble, "Why does that lazy bum, Rodimus, own Lon Lon Ranch? I, the hardworking Zolf, should be in charge of this ranch! All he ever does is sleep!"

"Excuse me," Sylphiel asks the man, "but does anyone else live here?"

"Of course! Mistress Filia and her lazy father, Rodimus, went to Hyrule Castle Town to deliver some milk to the royal family," Zolf replies. "I doubt they'll be back anytime soon, though. Rodimus could sleep through the end of the world."

Zelgadis slowly backs away with the fairy, exiting the ranch.

After getting to Castle Town, narrowly avoiding some guards, and finding Rodimus, they have to go all the way _back_ to the town in order to find something to wake the man up.

A young woman with long, blonde hair is standing near the fountain. Zelgadis walks up to her, and she immediately says, "Hey, you! Fairy boy! Have you seen my father, Rodimus? He went to the castle to deliver milk to the guards, but he still hasn't come back! I've been waiting here for almost a day now!"

"Actually," the chimera replies, "I need to talk to the princess, and he was blocking a small passageway into the castle, so I couldn't get in."

The girl frowns, "Oh. Could you go wake him up? Here," she gives him an egg. "That's a Cucco egg. When it hatches, you can use it to wake my father up. My name is Filia. What's yours?"

"Zelgadis."

"Oh. Well, fairy boy, go wake my father up! I swear to the goddesses, when that lazy bum gets back here..." Filia begins mumbling to herself, all the while storming out of town in the direction of Lon Lon Ranch.

Zelgadis and Sylphiel go all the way back to the Castle, once again barely avoiding the guards, and wake up Rodimus.

When Zelgadis informs him of what Filia said, Rodimus yelps, "Oh, no! Filia's gonna kill me! I shouldn't have fallen asleep; now I'm really in for it!"

The ranch owner runs off, and Zelgadis gets into the castle and all the way to the Royal Courtyard. There's a girl standing by the window, and she's the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. She has shoulder-length red hair, and she is wearing a subtle yet beautiful pink dress. When she turns to look at him, Zelgadis finds her fierce ruby-eyed gaze utterly petrifying.

Said gaze lights up as she whispers, "Could it be...? Um, did you come from the forest?"

He nods.

"Is that a fairy?" Another nod. "Are you...a chimera?" A sheepish nod. The girl gushes, "Then I have reason to believe that you have the **Kokiri's Emerald**. Do you? That green and shining stone?"

"I do," Zelgadis says as he pulls it from a pocket and shows it to her.

She beams brightly at him. "Can I tell you something? And you'll believe me?"

"Of course."

The princess clears her throat. "I have a dream," she starts, "that one day my three daughters will be judged not by the color of their skin, but by—wait a second..." She flips through a book labeled, 'Ocarina of Time' and says, "Sorry, wrong lines. And to think I memorized those ones...

"I had a dream where there were shadows plaguing Hyrule, but then a light pushed through them to reveal a chimera holding the Kokiri's Emerald, with a fairy fluttering behind him." She blushes sheepishly, "Y-you believe me, don't you?"

Zelgadis nods, "Of course I believe you."

The princess smiles. Suddenly she gasps, "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you! My name is Lina, princess of Hyrule. Your name?"

"My name's Zelgadis," he replies formally.

"Zelgadis...Why do I feel like I've heard that name...?" Lina frowns. "Oh, I was spying on someone through this window. Will you look?"

The chimera frowns, "Hey, now, what kind of princess spies on people?"

"Me!" Lina whispers, smacking him upside the head.

"Ow! Okay, I'll look!" Zelgadis glances through the window to see a man with umbrella-like purple hair and brown eyes, bowing to someone out of view. Most likely the king. Guards surround the area. While Zelgadis is still looking, the man glances back at him.

Zelgadis slips to the side as quickly as possible, his heart racing.

Lina asks, "Did he see you?"

The chimera nods, nearly numb because his heart is beating so fast.

"Well, he can't possibly know of our plans just yet," the princess insists. "That man is Rezo. He is the lord of the Gerudo. I believe that he is the shadow from my dream. Let me tell you something. It's a legend that is passed down in the royal family from generation to generation."

The name 'Rezo' sends chills up Zelgadis' spine, but he doesn't know why, so he and Lina sit at the bottom of the stairs.

"After the three goddesses—Din, Nayru, and Farore—created the land, they departed back to the heavens. They left behind the Triforce to protect us. If the Triforce is obtained by someone with a good heart, the land will prosper. If someone with an evil heart is to touch it, the land will be ravaged by monsters. To prevent this, seven sages built the **Temple of Time**, which protected the Sacred Realm, where the Triforce is held. They put a seal on an area in the Temple so that no one can get in without the three sacred stones. One is the **Sacred Stone of Forest**. Another is the **Sacred Stone of Fire**. The last one is the **Sacred Stone of Water**. The three stones were entrusted to three different races; the Kokiri, where you come from, the Gorons, in Death Mountain, and the Zoras. When these three stones are placed on the **Pedestal of Time**, and the **Song of Time** is played, the **Door of Time** will open."

Zelgadis can't resist asking, "What the heck is up with all the 'of Time'?"

Lina laughs, "I have no idea! But anyway, you also need one last thing..." She rummages around in unseen pockets for a while before withdrawing an ocarina with the symbol of the Triforce on it. "This. This is the **Ocarina of Time**, passed down from generation to generation in the royal family. This is the final key to opening the **Door of Time**. You need to play the **Song of Time** with this ocarina."

"Here we go with the 'of Time' again," Zelgadis mutters. Lina giggles.

"Zelgadis, this is serious. I need you to collect the Spiritual Stones to prevent Rezo from getting to the Triforce," the princess says. She clasps her hands together. "Zelgadis, can you please get the other Spiritual Stones? For me?" she begs adorably.

_Oh, no, not the puppy dog eyes, not the puppy dog eyes..._Zelgadis risks a glance at her face and thinks, _Darn. She's using the puppy dog eyes._

He sighs in defeat, "Okay, Princess, but only because it's _you_ asking, and not some jerk."

"Yay!" Lina exclaims. She hugs him, "I'm so glad you've decided to help! Now, remember, the fate of Hyrule is laying heavily on your shoulders, but no pressure, right?"

This does nothing to prevent Zelgadis from dying inside. _Why did I agree to this?_

"My assistant, Eris, will guide you out of the castle and into Hyrule Field. She can also point out which way you should go," she says.

He glances back to see a woman with black hair and an impish face staring at him with intense eyes. He gulps, "Um, Lina, are you sure about this?"

"Don't worry; she may look scary, but she's not gonna hurt you. Oh, and before I forget, here," Lina says as she hands him a letter. "Give this letter to the guard at the entrance to Death Mountain. She should let you through."

Zelgadis nods and walks over to Eris.

"So you are the 'hero' that Princess Lina has been talking about," the woman says. "I am one of the Sheikah tribe. We are dedicated to protecting the royal family from harm. My part in the princess' dream was to teach you this song. It will prove you as a messenger of the royal family."

Eris hums a song similar to a lullaby and gestures for Zelgadis to play it on the ocarina he has. It takes a few tries, but he finally masters the song.

"This song has special...powers, you could say. I have hummed this song to Lina ever since she was a baby. It is Lina's Lullaby," the Sheikah woman adds. "Come on."

Zelgadis and Eris now stand in Hyrule Field. The Sheikah points to a tall mountain in the distance, "That is Death Mountain. At the foot of the mountain is Kakariko Village, where I was born and raised. You can restock on supplies there. I wish you luck on your quest."

Eris takes a few steps backwards and throws a Deku Nut at the ground. When the flash goes out, she's gone.

Zelgadis glances at Sylphiel. "Are you ready?" he asks.

The fairy nods, "Come on, Zelgadis! On to another adventure!"

The two start on the long trek to Kakariko Village.


	3. Chapter 3: Goron Village

**A/N: Here's chapter 3, everyone. It might be really late, but I'm still hyper as ever! Please R&R, as always! I'll post the next chapter if I get at least three reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers or The Legend of Zelda.**

**Chapter 03: Goron Village**

"Hey! Zelgadis! Look!" Sylphiel cries, flitting around Zelgadis' head.

"Ugh, what, Sylphiel?" he grumbles.

"Kakariko Village!"

He widens his eyes and starts running to catch up with the tiny fairy. "You seriously see it?!"

_Finally!_ he thinks, _It's been too long since I've gotten rest._

"Well, I see a huge staircase leading to the base of the mountain," Sylphiel replies.

She sounds just as eager to get to a town. After leaving Hyrule Castle Town, the duo quickly realized that nighttime isn't safe in Hyrule Field. Skeletons rose from the ground at Zelgadis' feet, and it's a bit hard to kill something that's already dead.

Zelgadis climbs the staircase to find that it is, indeed, Kakariko Village. It looks to be quite a lively town, with carpenters running all over, particularly near a half-finished building, and a man is standing at the base of a tree, laughing like someone just told a really, really good joke. A few guards are placed here and there, and there's a well in the middle of the town.

Sylphiel bobs up and down in front of Zelgadis' face. "Hey! Zelgadis! Remember what Eris told us? We need to go up to the summit, to **Goron Village**!"

"Yes, Sylphiel, I remember. Can't we rest for a bit though? You weren't the one killing undead..._things _all night!" he complains.

"No, we have to hurry! 'The fate of Hyrule lies heavily on your shoulders,' remember? Lina and all of Hyrule is counting on you! Let's go!" The fairy keeps bobbing up and down in front of him.

"Fine, let's go." Zelgadis pulls his new hood over his face.

They wander through the village for a while before finding the path up the mountain. As Lina said, there's a guard at the gate.

"Kid, if you're looking to go up the mountain, then you're outta luck. Kids aren't allowed up there. It's too dangerous," she says.

Zelgadis frowns and pulls Lina's letter out of a hidden pocket in his cloak. He hands it to the guard, who reads it over. "Well, this _is _the princess' handwriting. But why would she tell me to let a kid up the mountain...?" She finishes reading the note. "Ah, that explains it. Well, kid, you're in luck. The princess has ordered me to let you through. Good luck, I guess." She salutes and opens the gate.

Zelgadis smiles under the hood, but it goes unnoticed, for the guard is already speaking with someone else. He begins his trek up the mountain.

After a few precious moments of silence, Sylphiel chirps, "What do you think the Gorons are like? I bet they're really tiny, and sparkly, and blue..."

"Sylphiel, you're describing yourself," Zelgadis says. "Considering they live near the peak of a volcano called Death Mountain, I would assume that they're pretty tough. Now would you _please _SHUT UP?!"

"Hey, Zelgadis, that's not nice! You can't tell me to shut up because it's mean and it hurts my self-esteem and it's mean!"

Zelgadis tries in vain to plug his ears. "Curse my sensitive ears...WHY IN DIN WAS I BORN LIKE THIS!?"

"Maybe you weren't," Sylphiel says, finally reverting to her calm self.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"I mean, maybe you weren't born as a chimera. I don't think anyone ever is, unless magic is involved. Like, really powerful magic." The fairy gasps, "What if someone changed you into a chimera when you were born?!"

"B-but...that's impossible," Zelgadis says. "Gourry watched over every one of us. He made sure that we were all safe when we were born."

Sylphiel hesitantly nods. "I don't know, I'm just saying that there is no way you were born like that. I'm sure that Gourry dear would've been able to do something about it. Maybe he couldn't because someone from outside the forest did that to you."

Zelgadis looks about to protest again, but then they see what looks to be a cavern that was blocked by a giant boulder. In front of it is a few rocks, one of them bigger than the rest. As Zelgadis approaches, the bigger rock shifts and...stands, so that it is vaguely human-shaped, with beady blue eyes and light brown, tough skin. It waves in a friendly way.

"Hi, outsider! I'm what's called a Goron. If you're looking for our village, it's up the mountain a little. Just follow the path and you'll find it. Hard to miss."

"What's this place?" Zelgadis asks.

The Goron looks behind him. "Oh, this is **Dodongo's Cavern**. It's where we get our food from, but recently a man of the desert came in search of a stone. He told our leader, **Phil**, that he would offer safety to us Gorons when he was king of Hyrule, but Phil refused. In anger, the man sealed off this cave, promising that should we change our minds, he will remove the boulder. But until then, he left us Gorons to starve. See, we've grown so used to eating the rocks from **Dodongo's Cavern** that we really can't stand any others."

"Y-you eat _rocks_?" Sylphiel gasps. "That's disgusting!"

"Not to us," the Goron replies. "They're actually very nutritious, you know. Do you wanna try one?"

Zelgadis refuses and runs up the path so as to avoid eating his own species.

Sylphiel is as bug-eyed as a blob of sparkles can get. "What's wrong with these people?"

"I'm not even sure they're people, but we've gotta get the **Spiritual Stone of Fire**, remember?" he replies.

"Yeah."

They continue hiking up the mountain until a Goron bowls Zelgadis over. "Ow..." he groans. "That actually hurt...!"

Sylphiel hovers over him. "Zelgadis, are you okay?!"

The Guilty Goron uncurls and says, "By Nayru, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to crash into you!"

And then a bomb explodes in their faces. "Heh. Heh heh. Sorry. I was trying to get a bomb all the way down to Dodongo's Cavern so I could blow up the boulder," the Goron says. "I didn't think there would be someone here, because I told everyone to watch out."

Zelgadis sighs, "It was an accident. It's not your fault."

The Goron sighs. "Still, I'm sorry," he says before curling up and rolling down the path.

"Well, it was nice of him to apologize," Sylphiel says.

Zelgadis frowns. "If he hadn't apologized, I would've fried him."

"With what? You only know one spell!"

"What do you mean? I know a lot of spells!" When Sylphiel glares at him and crosses her wings, he gives up. "Okay, so I only know a few spells...do you care?"

"Nope. I'm just bugging you."

Zelgadis rolls his eyes. "Well, that's your job, apparently." They both start walking back up the path, hopefully without any interruptions this time.

They get to the end of the trail and see a sort of cavern. Zelgadis shrugs and walks right inside, and immediately darkness overcomes his senses. But he keeps walking until light appears at the end. The light grows until it's blinding compared to the darkness. And they enter Goron Village.

* * *

The duo quietly observes the large cavern. Sylphiel finally breaks the silence to say, "Kinda bright for an enormous cavern, don't you think?"

"Magic," is Zelgadis' reply. Sylphiel looks at him. "I know more than one spell, y'know."

"Um, okay then," the fairy mutters.

They pass a Goron that's sitting outside a hole in the wall that's playing fast-paced, exciting music. He looks at them and says, "All of us Gorons love this song. Hey, did you know that Phil loves to dance?"

They shakes their heads.

"Well, when he hears this song, he just can't help but dance, even when he's in a bad mood."

Sylphiel says, "Zelgadis, this might be useful information. If Phil's in a bad mood, we could go see if whoever is playing that song can teach us."

They walk down several flights of stairs before getting to the ground floor, where they assume Phil is at. A Goron is sitting at a closed door.

"Hey, is this Phil's room?" Sylphiel asks him.

"Yeah. After that man of the desert came here, Phil shut himself in his room and said, 'I will only open this door to the royal messenger,'" the Goron replies. "I think he took the **Goron's Ruby** with him, too."

Zelgadis exchanges a glance with Sylphiel. Eris' words are running in both of their minds: _'This song has special...powers, you could say.'_

"Well, Zelgadis?" the fairy exclaims. "Stand in front of the door and play the song!"

The chimera nods, stands on the plush carpet in front of the door (At least _something _around here is soft) and plays Lina's Lullaby. True to form, the door slides open. The duo walks through the softly lit corridor and into a large room with a big, burly Goron, a huge statue of some sort, and a few torches.

"What's this?" the Goron rumbles. "I thought I heard the royal messenger!"

"Hey, listen," Sylphiel says, "we actually _are _messengers from the royal family. The princess sent us here to get the **Spiritual Stone of Fire**."

"Well, in no way am I giving our most sacred possession to some little boy and a fairy. Even if you _are _messengers. So SCRAM!" Phil yells.

Sylphiel and Zelgadis flee the room.

"What was that someone said about a song?"

* * *

The two companions walk straight from Goron Village into a thriving forest.

"Well, this is a bit strange," Sylphiel comments.

"Yeah, but did you notice anything familiar?" Zelgadis asks.

"No, why?"

He facefaults. "Because these are the Lost Woods."

"Hoo, you're right, Zelgadis," a very, very, very unwanted voice hoots.

"Oh, no. Not him, not him, not him..." Zelgadis whimpers.

Sylphiel sighs, "Yep. It's him. You jinxed it, Zelgadis."

"Can you hear that music?" Xellos asks. "If you follow that music, you might just find what you're looking for. Do you need to hear that twenty more times?"

Zelgadis yells, "WHY DID THE STUPID GAME CREATORS MAKE 'YES' THE FIRST CHOICE?!"

"Can you hear that music? If you follow that music, ..."

"SHUT YOUR BEAK YOU STUPID BIRD!" Zelgadis and Sylphiel scream as they run away, all the while subconsciously following the lively music.

They follow the music until they get to a meadow with some sort of platform in the middle and what looks to be the entrance to a temple, only it's high up, and the stairs are broken.

Amelia is playing the song on an ocarina. She looks up, and immediately her eyes shimmer with tears, "Mister Zelgadis! You came back!" She leaps up from a log and hugs him tightly, sobbing into his shirt. "I missed you so much!"

"Amelia...I can't stay long," he apologizes.

"What? Why not?" she asks, tears of joy streaming down her face.

Zelgadis glances to the ground, "Well, I kind of need to...umm...save Hyrule."

Amelia gasps, "What? Who in their right mind would give a kid such a job?"

"Well, the princess probably isn't _completely _sane, but she's in her right mind, I'm pretty sure."

"The princess? Princess Lina? She gave you the job of saving all of Hyrule?!" the young Kokiri girl exclaims.

"Yeah. I have to collect all of the Spiritual Stones so we can prevent Rezo from stealing the Triforce, which was a sacred triangle left by the three goddesses after they departed from Hyrule. You know the story," Zelgadis says. "Rezo is the man who cursed Gourry."

Her face wears a shocked expression. "He...he came back...?"

"What do you mean 'he came back'?"

Amelia shakes her head. "Nothing, Zelgadis. I'm guessing you didn't just come here to tell me about all this?"

He nods. "I also came to ask you to teach me that song. It's going to help a lot with our quest."

"You want me to teach you my song? To help prevent Rezo from stealing the Triforce?"

"Yeah."

"Okay then." She brings the ocarina to her lips again and slowly plays the song. After Zelgadis masters that, she plays it at regular speed. He easily keeps up, and soon they're both playing in harmony, which rings clearly through the forest.

When they stop playing, Amelia gives him a tight hug. He hugs her back, but more gently.

"You have to promise me that you'll win," she says suddenly.

"What?"

"Promise that you won't let Rezo get the Triforce. He's an evil man, Zelgadis. If he gets the Triforce, all is lost. You have to promise that you'll never let him get the Triforce." Amelia loosens her grip to look him in the eye.

Zelgadis smiles, tears forming in his eyes. "I promise," he says. "I'll never let Rezo touch the Triforce."

"Good. Now go save Hyrule, Zelgadis. The Kokiri are with you, remember that." Amelia smiles and hugs him once more before sitting back on the log. "If you ever want to talk to me, play that song."

"You have a lot of girls hitting on you, Zelgadis," Sylphiel comments.

"Oh, shut up," he replies.

* * *

Zelgadis and Sylphiel go back into Phil's room. He glares at them, "I told you I'll never put our most sacred possession in the hands of a child!"

Zelgadis doesn't say anything. He simply pulls out the ocarina and starts playing Amelia's Song.

Phil listens for a few seconds before bursting into movement. He dances until Zelgadis finally finishes playing. After that little scene, Phil says, "I'll tell you what, kid. If you can get into Dodongo's Cavern and defeat **King Dodongo**, then I'll give you the Goron's Ruby. But only if you defeat it."

Zelgadis nods, "I'll defeat it then."

"Y'know, you look like a pretty tough kid. If anyone can defeat **King Dodongo**, it's you," Phil says. "I believe in you, kid."

With that, he ushers them out of the room and outside to a bomb flower that a Goron is standing over to shade it.

"Throw this bomb down there to break the boulder," Phil says. "Good luck."

Zelgadis throws the bomb, blows up the boulder, and jumps down to walk inside.

"Well, here we go, Sylphiel. On to another dungeon that isn't supposed to look like a dungeon," he sighs.

"Stop whining. You sound like a baby."

* * *

**A/N: Remember, everyone, I'll only post the next chapter if I get three reviews. Just three different people have to review, and then you'll get the next chapter. Hopefully soon.**


	4. Chapter 4: Lina's Memento

**A/N: I know I said I wouldn't post this chapter until I got three reviews, but I couldn't keep myself away from this, so here's chapter four. Please read and review. Just because I didn't keep to the three reviews thing doesn't mean I don't want any!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers or the Legend of Zelda.**

**Chapter 04: Dodongo's Cavern **

Rezo calmly walks down the hallway, but inside, his mind is racing. Who was that boy he saw in the courtyard? Why was he talking to Lina? Why did he look so familiar? These are just a few of Rezo's thoughts.

Suddenly, realization strikes him. That boy looked familiar because...no, it couldn't be. Is it really possible that that boy is...Zelgadis Greywords?

* * *

Sylphiel flutters ahead of her companion. "Hey, Zelgadis! Look at this place! It's huge!"

The chimera walks in, eyes wide in wonder. "Wow. How are we ever gonna find **King Dodongo **in a place like this?"

"I'd guess that he's pretty big. Dodongos are enormous!" Sylphiel replies. "See, that one for example!"

A reptilian beast of some kind was stalking the pathway to another room. Its skin looks almost steel-like. Sylphiel whispers, "Er, Zelgadis? I don't think your sword can damage that. ...Can I nag you now?"

Zelgadis rolls his eyes and they walk towards the path. Stone pillars are rising and falling in pits of lava. Sylphiel simply flutters over them, whereas Zelgadis has to jump onto one to land on the middle platform, which has some sort of statue in the very middle. The statue has one wary blue eye that turns in circles, probably scanning for any type of organism. Sylphiel looks over it for a minute and says, "Zelgadis, this is a Beamos. It can zap you with a laser if it sees you. I suggest you run whichever direction you're going by following the eye after it passes you, or maybe run as fast as you can. If—"

"Well, are you coming or not?" Zelgadis asks from the other side of the room. Apparently he followed Sylphiel's advice before she finished with her warnings.

"You're ruining all my fun," she mutters grumpily. "Giving lectures about monsters is my version of having fun. Along with nagging. You seem to hate that."

Zelgadis, without looking, swats her out of the air.

"Ow! That hurt!"

* * *

The two have now walked through about three quarters of the dungeon, and Zelgadis is panting heavily. While Sylphiel was complaining about how she can't fly because he sprained one of her wings (flying all the while), the chimera has had to fight bloodthirsty Lizalfos, angry Dodongos, and annoying Fire Keese, all of which he barely managed to defeat without dying. He had quickly discovered that someone is giving the Lizalfos enchanted swords, which can penetrate even his skin. The Dodongos have skin like steel, but their tails aren't near as heavily guarded. After figuring that out, it was rather simple to defeat the lizards, but still taxing. The Fire Keese surprised him by flying from above and burning his shield, which left him unguarded against the Lizalfos.

"I'm sorry, Zelgadis. I was just distracting you, I guess. It won't happen again," the fairy apologizes as she flutters about, trying in vain to heal at least some of his wounds.

"It's okay, Sylphiel," he sighs. "You had no idea there were over sized lizards crawling all over this place. Otherwise I'm sure you wouldn't bug me like that in the middle of battle. Speaking of which, how didn't you hear all of the swords clashing, fire, and roaring?"

Sylphiel smiles slightly, "Well, you see, that's one of the best parts of nagging. You don't really hear it when someone's complaining about you being annoying, or what you said."

"That's kinda strange," Zelgadis mutters.

"Yeah, I learned it from my friend Navi. She was supposed to be your partner, but she got really sick. Kinda convenient."

He rolls his eyes. "Man am I glad I didn't get her."

Sylphiel nods, "You should be."

* * *

Finally the two companions come upon a square hole in the ground, which leads to a narrow strip of land trapped between a wall and an enormous pool of lava in the middle of the room.

They exchange glances, shrug, and jump down. Sylphiel flutters just above the ground as Zelgadis lands. He looks around for a moment before a deafening roar echoes from behind them. They both slowly turn around to see a Dodongo almost twenty times the size of the others.

"I'm guessing this is King Dodongo," Sylphiel squeaks quietly.

"W-why is it so...big?" Zelgadis stutters.

The giant lizard roars again (which really hurts Zelgadis' sensitive ears) and slowly walks forwards.

"At least it's slow...AAAH!" Sylphiel almost literally eats her words when she and her chimera companion barely escape the dinosaur as it curls into a ball and starts rolling towards them.

Zelgadis yells, "You spoke too soon, Sylphiel!"

"Sorry! I didn't think something so big could move that fast! Eek!"

King Dodongo passes them again and crashes into a wall.

"Well, either he's as stupid as Gourry or his vision is bad," Zelgadis mutters. He spots a Bomb Flower growing in a corner and grabs it just as the giant lizard starts to inhale. He throws it into King Dodongo's mouth, where it explodes, causing the beast to fall over, unconscious. Zelgadis draws his sword and starts attacking it in almost inhuman speed. Soon King Dodongo wakes up, blood running down into its eyes, and curls up into a ball again. This time the two don't bother running, because the giant lizard rolls directly into the pool of lava, where it shrivels up and dies. Literally.

The lava seems to harden, and although steam is still rising, Zelgadis steps onto it confidently as yet another Heart Container appears. He takes the Container and steps into a blue light.

* * *

The two quickly obtain the Goron's Ruby and discover where the last **Spiritual Stone **is: **Zora's Domain**, where the **Zoras** live. They find out that the princess of the Zoras, **Princess Luna**, has vanished, but they soon discover that there is a bottle near the bottom of **Lake Hylia** that says that she's in **Lord Jabu Jabu's Belly **(Of course, they only discovered that after Zelgadis sunk to the bottom). Sylphiel and Zelgadis tell **King Zora** about his daughter, who slowly but surely moves out of the way so they can get to the fountain that **Lord Jabu Jabu** is in. The two companions enter and complete the dungeon, saving Princess Luna in the process. If they ever needed to save her. She could have just bossed the monsters to do her bidding.

"Hey, what took so long?" the bossy Zora exclaims. "Then again, you did look kinda cool there...just a little!" A blush colors her face as she drags Zelgadis into the blue light.

He really hates water. That's for sure. Zelgadis lands on a log in the water, but then Luna appears in front of his face, which startles him into falling backwards into the water, where he starts to sink.

Sylphiel successfully manages to pull him up above the water, where he finds his footing and walks to the shallower side. Luna follows him, saying, "Hey, don't you want something in return? I could give you anything, really."

"Um, I kinda came here for the **Spiritual Stone of Water**," he mutters.

"Oh, I can give you that. My mother gave it to me and told me to give it to the man who would be my husband. I guess you could call it the Zora's Engagement Ring," Luna jokes. She hands Zelgadis the **Zora's Sapphire**.

He backs immediately away from her, and runs off just after she says, "Don't tell my father."

* * *

The two stop for a detour at Lon Lon Ranch, where they rest and see Filia ordering Zolf and Rodimus around. After Filia finishes bossing them, she sees Zelgadis at the entrance to the ranch. "Oh, it's the fairy boy! Come here, I want you to see something!"

The young woman leads them to where dragons that shimmer golden are flying in the sky, only hidden from outsiders by the enormous cliffs surrounding the ranch. "These are my pets. My favorite is that one." Filia points towards a dragon that shimmers more brightly than the rest of the other dragons. "Her name is Epona, and she only lets someone that plays her song ride her. I can teach you her song, if you want," Filia offers. "Isn't that an ocarina?"

Zelgadis nods and pulls out his ocarina, not at all shocked that there are dragons in such an ordinary-looking ranch. Filia plays a sweet song, and soon Zelgadis masters it. Epona lets out a shockingly gentle purr, flying down to land on the ground. She lowers her head, and Zelgadis hesitantly pets her.

Soon he and Sylphiel leave the ranch, getting threats from Filia to come back.

* * *

"Come on, Sylphiel! We have the three Spiritual Stones; let's go get them to Lina!"

Sylphiel sighs. "Zelgadis, it's hot out, and I feel like my wings are going to fall off. Can I sit on your shoulder please?"

He looks back at her and realizes that Sylphiel has barely been keeping up with him the whole time. Now they're almost to Castle Town, and from there they are heading towards the castle courtyard again. Zelgadis nods and gently places the little fairy on his shoulder.

He, once again, starts jogging, ever closer to Castle Town.

Suddenly a storm overtakes them, thunder and lightning crackling dangerously close to the duo. Nevertheless, he keeps walking, and soon stands at the closed gates of Castle Town. The gates open as a white horse gallops through the city walls. On it are two people. One of them has a rather small figure, and the other is a fully grown woman.

Zelgadis gasps, because those two are Eris and Lina.

The young princess looks at him as they pass, and she throws something with all her might into the moat around the city. Zelgadis looks after her until he hears another horse's hooves pounding just behind him. He turns around to see a black horse with none other than Rezo atop it.

"You. You must have seen a white horse gallop past here just now. Which way did it go?" Rezo asks harshly, not at all recognizing the boy in front of him.

Zelgadis remains silent, simply glaring at Rezo. He draws his sword.

Rezo laughs. "You think you can defeat me with that puny little sword? **Mono Bolt!**" Electricity shoots from the traitor's hands, causing Zelgadis to cry out and fall to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

Light filters through our hero's eyelashes as his mind drags itself to the conscious state. Sylphiel is fluttering above him, crying, "Zelgadis! Wake up! _Zelgadis!_"

"S-Sylphiel, what wasthat?" he asks quietly.

"It was a powerful electrical spell, Mono Bolt, used to usually make your enemy pass out for a short period of time," Sylphiel explains. "That Rezo guy must have been a coward if he used a spell on a kid."

Zelgadis nods as he sits up. He's still right outside of Castle Town. Suddenly, his eyes widen, and he dives into the moat, using Levitation to float back up with the object of interest.

"Lina threw this last night," he remembers. "It must have been important..." and then he looks at it more closely, climbing out of the moat. "This is the **Ocarina of Time**!"

White clouds his vision, and he sees a white building with pillars surrounding the area. An altar stands near a sealed door, and Lina is right beside it, holding the ocarina.

"Zelgadis...if you're getting this, then I'm no longer with you," she says. "I'm going to teach you the **Song of Time**, which is the song needed to open the door to the **Sacred Realm**." She plays six notes, soft and low. Zelgadis repeats the notes with the same ocarina, almost as if he has already learned the song.

The vision ends, and he's standing in Hyrule Field again. Sylphiel asks, "What was that?"

Zelgadis shakes his head. "I-I don't know...but I know what we have to do."

* * *

The two companions are now standing in front of the altar in the Temple of Time. Zelgadis pulls out the ocarina and plays the **Song of Time**. All three of the Spiritual Stones glint in their places in the altar. The sealed door in front of them vanishes. It doesn't slide, it just vanishes.

He and Sylphiel exchange glances before walking through the short corridor. Suddenly the tiny fairy darts ahead and exclaims, "Can it be...? Zelgadis, this is...this is the **Blade of Evil's Bane**, the **Master Sword**!"

He walks towards his fairy partner and looks at the sword. It shines silver in the dim light, and the hilt's design is something like a bird's wings, symbolizing freedom and courage. Its name fits it, being worthy of a master of swordplay._  
_

Zelgadis frowns. "The Blade of Evil's Bane? Then maybe...maybe we can use this to defeat Rezo..." He steps up to the Pedestal and draws the sword. Immediately, blue light envelopes both he and Sylphiel, and a chuckle is heard from behind them.

"I underestimated you, Zelgadis. You were actually tough enough to defeat Gohma, King Dodongo, and Barinade," Rezo's voice says gleefully. "And now you've opened the door to the Sacred Realm. You've done all my work for me!"

Zelgadis' eyes widen, but he can't do anything as Rezo continues to chuckle, and everything fades away.

* * *

**A/N: I have forgotten to mention this in past chapters, but I assume some of you are wondering why Zelgadis, Lina, and all the others are acting so childish. It's because they are children, as Link was around 10 or 11, and so therefore, the others are too. Of course, that's about to change as the story goes on. R&R, everyone. (Pretty please?)**


	5. Chapter 5: A New Beginning, a New Ally

**A/N: Last chapter's name may have been mixed up, but here's the next one. This took me forever to complete! R&R, please! I also have to add that Zelgadis doesn't age as slowly as he should, so in this fanfiction, instead of still looking 11 and being only 15, he actually is 18. This is the chapter where most of the characters will assume their regular personalities.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers or the Legend of Zelda.**

**Chapter 05: A New Beginning, a New Ally**

Zelgadis' vision returns to him in an area that looks to be surrounded in water. Seven pedestals, representing seven different elements, stand around him. He looks directly in front of him to see a man with purple hair. The man is wearing a priest's clothing and holding a wooden staff with a ruby embedded in it.

"Ah, it's been a while, old friend," the man says cheerfully.

Zelgadis frowns. "Do I know you?"

"This should ring a bell: 'Do you need to hear that again?'"

"Xellos!?"

"Yes, I believe that was me! Now, Zelgadis, I need to tell you some things." Xellos' expression becomes deadly serious. "First off, you are in the Sacred Realm, a place where the seven Sages dwell. You've been here for seven years."

"S-seven years?!" Zelgadis cries. He looks down at himself. His beige outfit has miraculously grown to fit him. At his waist is the Master Sword, sheathed in a rather fancy scabbard. Other than that he's a lot taller, and his voice is much deeper, but he's still a chimera, which doesn't surprise him.

"Yes, and another thing. Your fairy partner, Sylphiel, was born a human, but a Great Fairy changed her into a fairy. She's about your size, only a bit shorter, with ten foot wings. She was cursed by the same man that cursed you, only your curse, sadly, is meant to be permanent."

Zelgadis has grown to accept being a chimera in the eleven years (apparently eighteen, now) that he's been alive, but hearing that it's permanent saddens him a bit. Maybe a part of him just figured that, given enough time, it would reverse itself. He shakes it off anyway and says, "So where's Sylphiel?"

"Zelgadis, what's going on here?" a quiet voice asks, answering his question. Sylphiel is standing behind him. She has long, almost pitch black hair, and, just as Xellos said, ten foot wings. Her eyes are wide as she takes in her appearance.

"Sylphiel, we've been trapped in the Sacred Realm for seven years, and there was a temporary curse placed on you. Mine...mine's permanent." Zelgadis' voice trembles, on the verge of breaking.

If possible, her eyes widen even more at the sound of his voice and what he said.

He composes himself and clears his throat. "Anyway, Xellos, continue."

Xellos nods. "Okay, another one that'll shock you. Neither of you are actually from Kokiri Forest. You are both Hylians that were cursed by Rezo." Zelgadis' eyes narrow dangerously at this. "When you drew the Master Sword from the Pedestal, Zelgadis, you were too young for the sword to truly accept you as its master, so that's why you were trapped in here. But while you were both asleep, Rezo came and took the **Triforce of Power**. In these past seven years, he has changed Hyrule into a world of monsters and chaos. You two need to save this land, and to do that, you need the aid of seven sages. I am one: the Sage of Light." Xellos smiles at them, gesturing to himself and his attire. "Now I have to send you two back, but I wish both of you well on your journey."

"Wait, Xellos!" Sylphiel cries. "Princess Lina was fleeing the castle seven years ago, with Miss Eris, right? Rezo didn't find her, did he?"

A small smile crosses the man's face. "No, he hasn't found her at all yet. But if you don't hurry and awaken the five remaining sages, she will never reveal herself to you."

Xellos disappears and Zelgadis and Sylphiel find themselves in the Temple of Time.

"The remaining _five _sages?" Zelgadis asks, raising a stony eyebrow.

"Maybe both Xellos and another have already been awakened," Sylphiel replies. They both start to leave when Zelgadis hears something and turns around with inhuman speed, drawing the Master Sword.

A man wearing the symbol of the Sheikah is standing behind them. He has red bangs hanging down from under wrapping of some sort on his head, and his eyes are an eerie, crystalline blue the color of a clear sky. Half of his face is covered with the same material wrapped around his head, almost like Zelgadis' scarf/mask. He also holds a harp.

"I am Sheik," he says in a quiet, almost feminine voice. He glances at the Master Sword. "A blade such as that may only be wielded by the **Hero of Time**. Only you can defeat Rezo, Zelgadis, when you wield that blade and have the six sages on your side. One is in a deep forest. Another in a fiery mountain. Another deep under a lake. Yet another in the shadows of a dark, mysterious place. And the last is in the deserts, far from here. To enter the first temple and awaken the first sage, you must find an item in Kakariko Village's graveyard." He steps backwards and throws a Deku Nut, vanishing instantly.

Zelgadis and Sylphiel exchange glances. The full-size fairy asks, "Do you think we should trust him?"

"I don't know, but for some reason...I feel like I know him."

* * *

The duo exits the Temple of Time to see what looks to be zombies of some sort.

"Sylphiel, what are those?" Zelgadis asks nervously, glancing at the rotten yet living corpses.

"I-I don't know. They've never been seen as far as I know," she replies, still a bit shocked from their encounter with Sheik. "Then again, it's been seven years. For all we know, millions of new monsters could have been created." Her brow creases. "Zelgadis, we need to be careful. We don't know what's ahead of us."

He nods in agreement.

* * *

After they pass what Sylphiel has taken to calling ReDeads, they get away from what's left of the castle town and soon find themselves near Lon Lon Ranch.

"Hey, Zelgadis, remember when Filia taught you Epona's Song? Maybe we could ask if they can lend us a dragon," Sylphiel suggests.

"I guess so. Having a dragon on our side will probably be useful," Zelgadis replies with a nod.

They walk into Lon Lon Ranch and enter the barn. Filia is there, sobbing lightly as she feeds the horses and cows. Sylphiel immediately rushes over. "F-Filia, what's wrong?"

The young woman looks slightly shocked to see Sylphiel, but she recognizes Zelgadis and relaxes. "Zolf took over the ranch, and now he's treating all the animals terribly. He trapped the horses and cows in here, and he muzzled all of the dragons. He won't let me sing their favorite song for them. He's even driven my father away. I don't know what happened, but Zolf became cruel ever since that Rezo guy took over."

"Don't worry, Filia, we'll take care of this," Zelgadis says confidently. "Rezo isn't one to underestimate, but Zolf can't be that tough. We just have to find out what happened."

She crosses to him and gives him a tight hug. "Thank you, Zelgadis."

He almost smiles before saying, "Come on, Sylphiel, let's go talk to Zolf."

The super-sized fairy nods and follows him outside.

"Welcome to Lon Lon Ranch, where you can ride a dragon," Zolf advertises. He gazes hungrily at Zelgadis' overstuffed wallet, which the Hylian had gotten from Xellos. "Why, hello, sir, would you like to ride a dragon? It's just 50 Rupees."

He exchanges a glance with Sylphiel and replies, "Sure, why not?" while slipping his hand into his pocket to retrieve the Ocarina of Time.

"Okay, I'll take your payment. You can ride for ten minutes," Zolf drones, holding out his hand for the Rupees.

Zelgadis nods, pays, and walks into the field, slipping the Ocarina out. He plays Epona's Song.

The brightest golden dragon roars loudly and turns her head towards Zelgadis, who walks towards her and climbs onto her back, whispering, "Okay, I need your help to free all the other golden dragons and make sure Zolf never does this to you again."

Epona glances at him and then to her foot, where he spots a heavy chain that's tied to the ground. Zolf is starting to release it.

"Okay, boy, I'm telling you once. This place is covered with a force field, so any attempts at trying to free this dragon will fail. Second, you only get ten minutes, and we're going to race after those ten minutes, dragon against dragon. If you win, which no one ever has before, then I'll give you the dragon. But if you lose, I get your life." Zolf smirks when Sylphiel gasps. "And hers, too, so you might want to win against me." His grin widens.

Zelgadis glares at the man just as Epona flaps her wings and soars up into the sky. She tries and fails to break the force field.

"Epona, you need to trust me here. I need you to win that race for me," Zelgadis says. "It's life or death, and he'll probably kill you, too. We need to work together on this. Which dragon does he use?"

Epona roars and dives down towards the only bronze dragon, swooping around it a few times.

"Okay, can you ask it to throw the race?"

She roars a few times, and the bronze dragon roars in reply, giving a nod.

_He has agreed, _a velvety female voice speaks in Zelgadis' mind.

"You can talk?"

_Only in your mind. It has always been a sort of...gift of mine. Don't worry, I can't read your mind._

"Good. Now let's go challenge Zolf."

Epona swoops down and lands next to Zolf. "I'll race you," Zelgadis says confidently.

"You sound sure of yourself, boy," Zolf smirks. "Everyone else spent a full ten minutes trying to escape, and when they raced me, the dragon they rode was too tired to win. You might actually have a chance; the dragon you're riding seems just as defiant as you."

Zelgadis copies the smirk and replies, "Well, let's go already."

Zolf climbs onto the bronze dragon and says, "All of the dragons know the route. Let them lead."

Filia comes outside and stands next to Sylphiel. "H-he's racing Zolf? There's no way that...wait, that's Epona!"

"What's so special about Epona?" Sylphiel asks.

"Epona can fly faster than any of the dragons, so they all kind of...worship her. Other than that, she can also influence them to do basically whatever she wants as well as speak mentally to the rider. She never lets anyone ride her, though. She won't even let me. I guess there's something special about Zelgadis. Other than looking like that, I mean," Filia explains.

Sylphiel accidentally slaps Filia across the face with one of her giant wings. "Oh, oops, sorry," she says in fake sincerity. "I really didn't mean to do that...what am I kidding? Filia, Zelgadis is really sensitive about what he looks like. He was cursed to look like that. He got really upset when someone told us that his curse is permanent. He almost cried, and in all the time I've known him, he's _never_ cried. So please, don't bring it up."

Filia nods in sympathy and says, "Okay, I'm gonna go start the race. (Like usual. *sweatdrop*) Hopefully this'll work."

Both dragons bolt off less than a second after Filia yells, 'Go.'

Zelgadis has to yell over the wind. "Epona, even if that other dragon agreed to throw the race, you should try your hardest."

_Of course, _she replies. _The man you call Zolf isn't truly evil, but his dragon...it must be from the man everyone calls Rezo._

Zelgadis falls into silence, concentrating on the race as well as his own thoughts. Sure enough, the bronze dragon glances their way and speeds up. Epona flies upwards and dives down, passing the other dragon easily.

In a matter of seconds, the race is over. Epona and Zelgadis won.

"B-but... How did...? Wait, that dragon is Epona, isn't it?!" Zolf cries. "How did you manage to train her behind my back?!"

Zelgadis smirks and Epona nuzzles his shoulder.

"Well...I'll hold to my promise; you can keep the dragon...until I kill you."

Zelgadis leaps back as a Fireball strikes the spot he was standing in.

"This is unfair! I only know one attack spell," Zelgadis mutters to himself. "Maybe if I can get close enough..." He glances at the Master Sword as the scabbard swings wildly at his hip. He continues to dodge repeated Fireballs and throws a few of his own.

Zolf yells, "...be destroyed by the power you and I possess. Dragon Slave!"

A compressed red and black ball of energy flies at the chimera, packing a lot of punch.

"H-how did he do that?!" Zelgadis cries, collapsing to the ground with a wince.

_Zelgadis, let me help, _Epona's voice says. The dragon roars, and out comes a burst of lightning. Zolf is toasted in less than a second, and the force field notably shatters. All of the dragons roar in what can only be labeled as joy, and both Sylphiel and Filia cross over to Zelgadis.

"That was...impossible," the mistress of the ranch says.

Sylphiel only crouches down beside him and inquires, "Zelgadis, are you okay?"

He stands with a great effort. "Yeah...I'm...I'm fine," he whispers.

"No, you're not," Filia scolds. "Let me take care of your wounds. You should stay here for a couple days, too, because anyway, you still haven't explained why you vanished for seven years."

* * *

**A/N: Ugh. It took me forever to finish that. But anyway, next chapter should be coming soon; sorry for the long wait. Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6: The Entrance to the

**A/N: Here's chapter six! Sorry, readers—I'm slacking off. I was working on one of my other fanfictions, but hey, I embraced the pain of sitting in a not-so-comfy chair for three hours to type, edit, and re-edit this! Now my neck hurts. On the bright side, you got chapter six! Please read and review, fellow fanfiction authors and/or guests!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Slayers or Legend of Zelda. Don't sue me, please.**

**Chapter 06: The Entrance to the Forest Temple**

Zelgadis and Sylphiel have been staying at Lon Lon Ranch for a few days now, Zelgadis mainly needing to recover from that compact spell that Zolf used.

The second Zelgadis is able to speak without wincing is the second he asks about the spell.

"The Dragon Slave," Filia says with a haunted look. "It was used for exactly what the name implies. It used to be called Dragon Slay, which was converted to Dragon Slayer, and then the version we Hylians know now. No one knows exactly why it has 'Slave' at the end, but only a few people can cast such a spell. Princess Lina was one of those people." Zelgadis perks up at mention of Lina, and Filia laughs. "Princess Lina was a very powerful sorceress before she...you know..."

"Are you saying you think Lina's dead?" Sylphiel whispers in shock.

Filia glances at the ground in shame. "Well, she's been missing for seven years. The last anyone ever saw of her was when she was riding away from Rezo. Which reminds me." The blonde glares at Zelgadis, who still can't move to escape from her gaze.

He hates being stared at like that.

"Zelgadis, why did you disappear for so long? Why did you disappear when we needed you the most?"

Both Zelgadis and Sylphiel begin to explain what happened.

* * *

Days later, Zelgadis is allowed to leave. Filia is finally satisfied with the information she got.

"Talk about grilling for information," he grumbles in annoyance. "She even asked what my last name was!"

"Who ever thought that someone could get so bossy after being so kind three seconds later?" Sylphiel agrees.

"So..." Zelgadis frowns. "Where are we going to go? Are we going to head for one of those temples Sheik mentioned?"

"I believe he said something about an item we need in Kakariko Village," she recalls. "But should we trust him?"

Zelgadis falls into deep thought as they begin travelling across the enormous Hyrule Field. He frowns, glaring at the ground and occasionally looking at where they're going. Sylphiel also begins to think.

_What if Sheik is one of Rezo's lackeys? What if he's trying to trick us into getting captured? But then, how would Rezo know that we were trapped in the Sacred Realm? And how would he know when we would get out unless he's one of the..._Sylphiel's eyes widen.

"Zelgadis! Hey! Zelgadis!" she cries, making him jump three feet up. "What if Rezo is one of the Sages? Like, what if he's the other awakened Sage?"

Zelgadis' face remains in a scowl. "That's impossible. I'm sure Xellos wouldn't even hint at the fact that there was another Sage that was awakened if it was Rezo. Besides, we could play the 'what if' game all day when we should be travelling to Kakariko Village. We've been there before; it shouldn't be new or anything."

Sylphiel considers this possibility, falling back into thought, as Zelgadis does.

_"But there's always that one question, Zelgadis. What if?" _His mother's voice, from long ago, echoes momentarily in his head as the Hylian continues to walk steadily along the path, Sylphiel scurrying behind with her wings tucked inside a cloak that she was talked into wearing. _"What if she's right? What if? You always need to ask yourself that question."_

"I will, Mother," he whispers inaudibly. "You're right...what if?"

His scowl deepens as he sighs. "You're right, Sylphiel. There's always a 'what if'. I just don't believe in doubting myself. To me, doubt is weakness. If you doubt your capabilities, you'll never make it through life, at least...not without permanent scars." He blinks back tears. "I...I was taught at an early age that you can't...you can't doubt yourself, otherwise the older, tougher kids will pick on you. And you can't give in, either." Zelgadis looks up to the cloudless sky, adding, "Lina taught me that. If you give in, the slight chance you have at winning will become no chance. That's why she fled from the castle. She wasn't giving in; she was buying time for the rest of the kingdom. Even if Rezo has taken over, she's still out there. She's waiting for someone to give her the chance she needs to win."

Sylphiel lays her hand on Zelgadis' shoulder. "And that someone is you, Zelgadis. She's waiting for you to awaken the Sages and truly become the Hero of Time so she can reveal herself to you."

He smiles at the jumbo-sized fairy. "You're right, Sylphiel. Let's go to Kakariko Village."

Together the two call Epona and ride off towards the city of the Sheikah.

* * *

"What do you wish of me, Master?"

"I want you to keep following that boy. He can't slip from our grasp. If he does, all of my plans are doomed."

"Of course, Lord Rezo."

Rezo smiles as his faithful—and deceitful—servant dashes off to please his master. _It's the perfect plan. We will succeed, Zelgadis. You can count on that._

* * *

Kakariko Village is full of people, which surprises the duo that has just arrived. It looks as if everyone from Castle Town has moved here.

"Of course!" Sylphiel exclaims. "Remember the ReDeads, Zelgadis? The people must have had to flee while Rezo was taking over; otherwise they would all be dead."

He nods silently, glancing around. "The graveyard, right?"

"Yes."

They make their way through the crowd and reach the entrance to the graveyard. A cold wind blows from that direction, and the sun is noticeably duller there, but they continue into the graveyard.

It's a graveyard, all right. Multiple ghosts are floating around, trying to kick some pebbles and failing miserably. They look depressed, as if they haven't had anyone to talk to but each other in forever.

"Those are Poes," Sylphiel whispers quietly. "They aren't generally friendly, but some of them can communicate in our tongue. Even fewer of those Poes actually want to talk to a human, but considering that these are very lonely-looking Poes—"

"—and I'm not human," Zelgadis cuts in.

The fairy glares at him and finishes. "I doubt that the Poes are actually going to try to harm you, but if they do then I can easily kill them with a Purification spell. If that doesn't work, you can probably defeat them with the Master Sword."

"Right."

The nearest Poe takes notice of them, waving to all his Poe friends to take a look at the newcomer.

They all crowd the duo, observing them closely. Finally one says, "Hello, chimera man and fairy partner," in a rather friendly tone.

"H-hi," Sylphiel says cautiously.

* * *

After discovering that Sylphiel has a fear of ghosts and receiving a Hookshot from Dampe the dead grave keeper, Zelgadis and his fairy friend have traveled to the Kokiri Forest. When they get there, Zelgadis with his hood and scarf up, they receive a surprise.

All of the children are indoors, peeking out windows, and there are monsters everywhere Zelgadis looks.

"What happened?" he whispers in a broken voice. "What happened to the forest?"

Sylphiel's eyes fill with tears. "It must be because Gourry dear died even before Rezo took over. All the monsters must have invaded the forest and just...stayed ever since. I can't imagine what the children must feel like." Her eyes widen. "Zelgadis! Remember, Dilgear thought that you killed Gourry dear? What if everyone hates you now?"

"We are going to kill all of these vile creatures until we get the forest back," Zelgadis growls. "No matter what they think of me."

And that's what they did. Zelgadis killed most of the monsters, his sword driving his fury at Rezo. Sylphiel mainly sat around rooting for him as all the Kokiri started to open their doors. Once or twice Sylphiel has to come in to help Zelgadis out, when the monsters try to corner him, but he's fine other than that.

Finally all the monsters are defeated, and Zelgadis lays down gently on the grass. His hood and mask have fallen off, but the only thing he cares about is the Kokiri's well-being. After all, he used to be one of them, and even if they treated him badly, he still enjoyed being in their company.

The Kokiri children creep out of their houses, Dilgear in the lead, still small as ever.

"Zelgadis?" a little girl exclaims. "Is that really you? You look so...old, and you're so strong!"

Zelgadis smiles slightly, still panting from exhaustion.

"So you dare show your face here again, you little...big...monster?!" Dilgear insults. "After you killed Gourry, we lost our protection in the forest, and it was all thanks to you that these monsters came!"

Sylphiel stands in front of Zelgadis and glares down at Dilgear. "Zelgadis did _not _kill Gourry dear. And who are you to talk? You still wet the bed."

The Kokiri boy blushes and stammers, "Wh-what?! She's lying, guys, I swear!"

All the other Kokiri tap their feet and glare at Dilgear with intense fury.

"Hey, listen, Dilgear," Zelgadis manages to say, standing up to his full height. All the Kokiri stare up at him with little gasps of admiration. "You may have been able to tease me, and make fun of my appearance, and be cruel, but how would you feel if you got the same treatment? Why don't I throw rocks at _you_, or shove _you _into a pond? Why don't I call _you _a demon or a monster, or turn everyone against you?"

Dilgear fails to respond, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"It would be unfair." Zelgadis answers himself, crouching down and holding out a hand to the boy. "If I threw a rock at _your _head, you would either be knocked unconscious or get a concussion. If I called you a demon, you would be upset. If I even shoved you into a pond, you would get mad, and it would also hurt your self-esteem. Dilgear, it's because I care for you."

Dilgear's eyes widen. He closes them as tears threaten to fall and gives the stony Hylian a hug. "I'm...I'm so sorry, Zelgadis! I never should have treated you that way. It was unfair and...and...cruel! If you called me a demon, you would be right!"

"No, I wouldn't," Zelgadis admits. "I would be even worse than you've been. Even if you're older than me, I still look and act older than you. I'm stronger than you. I can hurt people more easily than you can." He shakes his head sadly. "If I called you a demon, wouldn't that make both of us demons?"

The Kokiri boy wipes away his tears and nods. "I'm really sorry, Zelgadis." His eyes light up. "Oh, right! Amelia wanted me to take you to see her! She's in the Forest Temple, way over in the Lost Woods. She's been calling for you, but she can't seem to contact you. I only know because I found this ocarina just outside the forest. I think it's yours." Dilgear leads Sylphiel and Zelgadis through the Lost Woods and into a meadow.

In the middle of the meadow is Sheik, a platform with the symbol of the Triforce on it, and the entrance to the Forest Temple.


	7. Chapter 7: The Sage of Forest

**A/N: Oh, my gods, I just did the craziest thing ever. I was typing this and listening to my elders' game of cards or whatever when my dad said that he would love to just watch and see all the madness. I thought of Muse's song, Madness, and just sang out of nowhere, "Maaaaaaaaadness." Everyone in the room freaked out and looked in my direction. My uncle said, "You know, it's the creepiest thing to have a child say that over in the middle of a dark, scary room." Hey, if you're out there, you know who you are!**

**Anyway, everyone, please R&R and I maybe I won't feel like a fanfiction failure.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers or the Legend of Zelda. Please don't sue me.**

**Chapter 07:**

"Hello, Hero of Time," Sheik greets them in a calm manner, despite Dilgear's hostile glances.

The Kokiri blinks a few times before he processes what Sheik said. "Wait, 'Hero of Time'? Who's that?"

Zelgadis shyly raises a hand, and Dilgear's eyes get huge. "So wait, not only are you this freaky cool chimera-dude, but you're also the Hero of Time?"

"Well, not exactly..." he protests weakly as Sylphiel tries not to laugh. "See, Dilgear..."

Zelgadis begins to explain what has happened ever since he left the forest. To him it felt like just last week, but in reality...it was seven whole years. _How could I have missed so many years of my life?_ he wonders silently.

Dilgear is left with a shocked expression and still sniffling from his sobs earlier. "Z-Zelgadis, I'm so sorry, I really am. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or anything; it's just that I...I didn't trust you. I thought that you were going to hurt us, and that's why I was mean. I thought that if I teased you, you would feel less of yourself and not bother us. I really am sorry."

"We don't have time for all of this drama," Sheik interrupts. "Zelgadis, pull out your ocarina and play." He, in turn, takes out his small harp and plays a string of short, cheery notes.

Zelgadis closes his eyes and plays the ocarina, carefully copying the notes slowly and then faster until he got it right. He opens his eyes and nods for Sheik to continue.

"That song will allow you to come back here whenever you need. However, once you enter the dungeon, you cannot exit until it is completed or you die," Sheik says. "Sylphiel, heed my words. As you spend more time in your current form, you will rediscover your powers. Until then, you really cannot help aside from giving information, and, like Zelgadis, if you enter a dungeon you cannot leave." The Sheikah nods towards the entrance. "I trust that you obtained the Hookshot?"

Zelgadis nods.

"Good. You will need that along the way. Be wary as you go in; I repeat that you cannot exit, and if you choose to fulfill your destiny, then there are many strong monsters inside. Sylphiel, are you sure you want to go inside?"

"Yes, Sheik. I have to help Zelgadis no matter what," she replies confidently.

"Very well. I wish you luck on your journey." Sheik turns to leave but then seems to have a second thought. "Zelgadis?"

"Yes?"

"Trust me when I say this: Lina is alive and well. In fact, she may be closer than you think she is." With that, Sheik throws down a Deku nut and disappears.

Dilgear smiles up at Zelgadis. "I trust you, Zelgadis. Come back safe, and I'll give you something special, okay?"

"Okay." The Hylian smiles back down at him and pulls out the Hookshot, holding Sylphiel securely.

_His eyes...they hold such sorrow. What happened to him?_ Dilgear wonders as he sees the two enter the dungeon. _He's never looked that sad before, even when I teased him. It makes me almost scared to ask what happened..._ As Dilgear turns to run off, he whispers, "Good luck, Zelgadis."

Unbeknownst to him, Zelgadis whispers, "Good luck to you, too, Dilgear."

* * *

The dungeon is quickly finished after they discover that Sylphiel has a fear of spiders and anything that flies (wait, would that mean she's afraid of herself, too?).

They enter a quiet room with a staircase and look around. A platform of some sort is sitting in the middle, and carved into it is the symbol of the Triforce.

Sylphiel shudders. She really doesn't like this room; it feels dark, evil. She shouldn't be here. It's not a room meant for fairies.

She watches as Zelgadis' confident expression fades to one of fear. "What is it, Zelgadis?" she asks.

"See those pictures on the wall? Notice that they're all exactly the same except for one. The different one has a picture of a horse with its rider. That horse looks exactly like the one Rezo was riding the night Lina fled from the palace." He shakes his head slowly. "Wait here; I'm going to go check that out."

Zelgadis mounts the steps and walks to the center, staring intently at the portrait. "This isn't a picture," he says suddenly. "It _is _Rezo's horse. No one could make a horse look that realistic." He's about to leave the platform and get out of the room when spikes rise in front of him.

"Zelgadis? Zelgadis?!" Sylphiel cries. The room flashes in a blinding white light, but even after the initial shock she can't see anything where Zelgadis is. It's just a huge splotch of black. "Zelgadis! What's happening?!"

The sounds of a battle begin to echo through the room, and all Sylphiel can do is try to make out something through the blackness.

"Zelgadis, please answer me!" she almost shouts. Now, ordinarily Sylphiel isn't one to yell, but when her friends are in danger, not to mention her _closest _friends, her worry goes over the top.

"Sylphiel?" comes a weak reply even as the sounds of battle continue on. "Run. Now."

"No, Zelgadis! I'm not going to leave you, no matter what!"

A _ZAP _sound comes from within the darkness, followed by a muffled scream. Sylphiel gasps. That's Zelgadis' voice. Someone is hurting him, and they won't get away with it.

"That's it!" Sylphiel yells, calling forth power for a spell. "_Source of all power, light which burns beyond crimson, let thy light gather in my hands! Lighting!_"

She makes a point of reciting the same spell that Zelgadis taught her earlier, willing it to flash for a split second only to blind his opponent and banish the darkness.

Another person's scream is heard, and it isn't Zelgadis'.

A sword slicing through some kind of metal is heard, and finally Sylphiel can see Zelgadis. His breath is coming in ragged gasps, and his neck looks almost purple.

_Someone was choking him,_ Sylphiel realizes. She concentrates hard and recites carefully, "_Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows, buried in the stream of time is where your power grows..._"

Zelgadis glances in her direction curiously.

_Of course, _she thinks, a metaphorical light bulb appearing above her head. _Since Zolf used that spell on him, he's scared of it now. That means that I have to be careful._

She continues to say, "..._may all the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess..._" She opens her eyes and glares at his assailant, and almost loses control of the spell as she realizes that it's a blind Rezo. Nevertheless, she finishes her chant. "_Dragon Slave._"

Zelgadis dives out of the way, and the attack spell launches his opponent against the wall.

"C-curse you...pathetic...heroes..." Rezo says. "Now I'll never...surpass my creator..."

"What creator?" Zelgadis asks, his voice hoarse. He casts a healing spell on it as he speaks.

"Fools...I am only a copy of...the man you call Rezo...he has plans...to destroy you. Especially you...Hero of Time. Rezo has plans for you...If I had killed you...you would have been spared...of your misery. I thought that...if you couldn't see, like me...then you wouldn't have a chance...and I could defeat you..." The copy looks pleadingly at Zelgadis. "Just...answer me this. Did I...did I surpass him? Am I better...?"

Zelgadis doesn't reply, instead choosing to glare down at the man. Sylphiel does, however, saying, "You'll always be better than your creator in the fact that you have a heart. Please, rest in peace. You've earned it."

The copy smiles weakly and opens his eyes. One of them is yellow, whereas the other is deep brown. He inhales sharply. "The world...is so beautiful...I wish I could...see more of it..."

With that, the copy of Rezo dies, and Sylphiel returns his peaceful smile. Zelgadis, on the other hand, gasps and disappears in a ring of blue light, taking Sylphiel with him.

* * *

"Mister Zelgadis!" a child's voice cries.

Zelgadis opens his eyes to find himself in the Chamber of the Sages. He sees Amelia standing nearby.

"Amelia! You're okay! ...what are you doing here?"

She giggles slightly. "Oh, haven't you figured it out? I'm the Sage of Forest. You saved me from my prison, silly!" She gazes affectionately at him. "Thank you, Zelgadis. Take this; it's a token of our friendship."

Zelgadis accepts a small green medallion from her.

"I'll miss you, Mister Zelgadis, but you have a world to save. Being a Sage, I am unable to contact the people physically in Hyrule. ...I'll miss you," she repeats as the world, yet again, fades away.

_"Save Hyrule, Mister Zelgadis. I'm counting on you, okay?"_


End file.
